


The Mutant Sanctuary: Explored

by mystic_believexx



Series: The Mutant Sanctuary Series [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bonding, Bottom Harry, Bullying, But not related to X-Men in any way, Dark themes mentioned, Dom Louis, Dom/sub Undertones, I'm horrible at tags but the story is worth a read, Louis isn't like most Masters, M/M, Mutants, Mutants are created for humans to buy, Part 2, Possessive Behavior, Slaves, Soulmates, Top Louis, slight mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 05:54:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8000977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mystic_believexx/pseuds/mystic_believexx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“Careful, love,” Louis’ raspy voice breathed against his ear and Harry fought against the shudder of pleasure the sound brought, “Floor’s slippery.”</i>
</p>
<p>At the age of eighteen, Harry has been bought by Master Louis Tomlinson and is about to begin life at The Sanctuary. This is the 2nd part of my Mutant Sanctuary series and a continuation, so please read Part 1 first :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mutant Sanctuary: Explored

**Author's Note:**

> Around a year ago, I wrote the first part of this and it received a lot more kudos than I ever imagined it would! Many people asked me for a second part so, although I am _very_ late with this, here it is! A huge thank you to all those who supported me and encouraged me to get this fic written  <3  
> I hope you like it :) xx

The Sanctuary was a large estate, surrounded by a tall brick wall so that, once the impenetrable metal gates closed, they were shut off from the outside world. This was a place designed with humans in mind, to keep them safe, so it didn’t really make much sense why Louis Tomlinson had amassed such a large quantity of mutants to live with him. 

It didn’t seem as if he _needed_ protection and Niall had told them he rarely requested companionship so why then, had he made this a sanctuary for mutants? Perhaps all the rumours had been right. Maybe Louis really did want to give mutants a better way of life, with no ulterior motives or expectations.

Harry couldn’t stop himself from glancing over at Louis every few minutes. He looked at ease behind the wheel, skilfully steering the car up the long driveway. 

During the drive, he had asked them if they minded him having the windows down and all of the mutants had shaken their heads. Harry for one, had enjoyed quietly observing the way Louis’ hair had blown in the wind, tousling his locks in a way that made him appear ruggedly handsome. 

They were all still trying to understand their new Master. At the Institute, they had been taught what to expect and how to behave when they were bought by humans. Louis though, didn’t seem to fit the mould of typical human behaviour. He had yet to issue a command to any of them and, when Nick had made the bold move of asking him if they were going to live in cages at The Sanctuary, Louis had just given him a serious look and passionately stated, “I would _never_ treat you like that!”

Harry bit his lip as he envisioned what his future might be. Louis had promised him that he would like The Sanctuary but Harry had never left the Institute before. Everything about the outside world was foreign to him and, for just a few moments, he almost missed the familiarity of the Institute.

“Harry?” the warm brush of a hand across his knee was what drew him out of his thoughts.

Now that Harry took note of his surroundings, he realised the car had come to a stop and that Perrie, Zayn and Nick were clambering out of the backseat. Louis was staring at him with a look of fond exasperation that suggested he had called his name more than once to get his attention. Shit!

Harry’s face flushed with mortification at having been caught daydreaming again. He hurried to stammer out an apology, making his eyes go as wide as possible. That usually prevented the humans from giving him too harsh a punishment.

“I..I’m s..so sor-”

“Harry,” Louis’ voice was surprisingly soft and the hand on his knees gave a gentle squeeze, “It’s alright. It’s your first time out of the Institute. It’s only natural that you’re a bit overwhelmed by everything.”

Harry meant to graciously accept the out Louis had given him but the moment his eyes locked with the blue of Louis’, Harry found himself blurting out, “I do this a lot.”

“Do what a lot?” Louis asked, a confused frown on his face.

“Zone out, daydream,” Harry rambled, “I..I think…they told me it was partly to do with my power but I never really know when I’m having a vision and when I’m just daydreaming. I don’t mean to not pay attention, I swear! It’s just difficult sometimes to get a handle on it but I swear I’ll try harder-”

“ _Breathe_ , love.”

Harry didn’t realise that he was losing breath until he felt Louis’ hand cup his cheek, grounding him.

“Sorry, Louis,” Harry mumbled out, unable to stop himself from leaning into the touch.

Louis’ smile contained a trace of fondness and Harry sighed with relief. He had heard from Niall that Louis never hurt or punished mutants but, after the training he had endured, Harry could never forget that it was well within his Master’s rights to punish him, if he so desired.

“No need to apologise,” Louis replied, tucking a lock of Harry’s hair behind his ear, “Look, all you need to worry about today is getting settled in. We’ll talk about your powers and all that tomorrow, after you’re fed and rested. Does that sound alright?”

“Yeah,” Harry nodded, biting back a needy whine when Louis’ hand left his skin.

“Good,” Louis gave him a smile that made Harry want to crawl into his lap.

Harry blinked in shock at the thought that had just entered his mind. Sure, a part of it was probably just his mutant nature craving contact with a human but he hadn’t expected for it to affect him so _strongly_. He’d have to ask Perrie and Zayn if they felt it too.

“Come on out then,” Louis added, opening his own car door, “Tell me what you think of the place!”

Harry obediently followed Louis’ directions, stepping out of the car and turning to gaze at his new home.

“I told the others to be prepared for new arrivals,” Louis said as he locked the car behind them, “If we’re lucky, they might have even tidied the place up a bit.”

Harry frowned. Was Louis talking about the other mutants that lived here? He didn’t understand why Louis wouldn’t just order them to tidy up, if that was the case. He was confused but he didn’t mention it, giving a nervous smile when Perrie whispered, “I can’t believe he actually bought us! This is so exciting!”

Nick too, was grinning widely, clearly pleased with his future accommodations. Zayn was attempting to appear unaffected by the estate but Harry could tell he was excited from the way his eyes kept darting around, taking in every cobblestone and tree that decorated the area. For his part, Harry didn’t even attempt to conceal his awe when he saw the large, black-marbled exterior of the mansion he was going to be living in.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathed out.

Harry’s eyes darted to Louis when he heard the man chuckle.

“I suppose it is,” Louis replied, softly, staring up at the building, “It’s home.”

Harry felt something stir inside him, a pull that urged him to step closer to Louis. He wanted to feel his Master’s arms wrap around him. Almost as if sensing his need, Louis threw a casually possessive arm around his shoulder. Harry melted into the touch, leaning against the older man and letting Louis lead them forward.

Louis led them up the steps of the mansion, smiling at the butler who greeted them at the door with glasses of water. Water…that the butler seemed to be producing from thin air.

It took Harry a moment to realise that he was a mutant too! 

“Has Claudia given everyone their monthly wages?” Louis asked the butler, who was studying Harry with a focused interest.

Harry bit back a needy whine when Louis’ arms moved away from him to reach for a glass. The butler nodded, offering the rest of them glasses filled with the cool, blue substance.

“Yes, she has. And the weekly allowance has been handed out too.”

Louis smiled, clearly pleased at whoever this Claudia person was. Harry was _not_ jealous. Mutants were used to sharing. Jealousy wasn’t something he had ever felt before but he didn’t know what else to call this burning feeling in his gut.

Perrie must have noticed something in his expression because she sidled up next to Harry, discretely wrapping a hand around his wrist.

“You okay?” she whispered and Harry nodded back, forcing himself to calm down.

If only he could feel Louis’ touch again. He was certain he would feel much better. But Louis was conversing with the butler now.

“This is James,” Louis introduced him to the rest of them, “He’s been living here since…well, since it was built.”

“Ages,” James agreed with a smile, “You’ll grow to love it too.”

Harry glanced around the marbled hall and didn’t doubt the statement. It wasn’t just the luxury of the place though. It was the way it had been made to look homely. Just simple touches that lent it character.There were rugs along the floor that made the room seem warm and welcoming. The walls were lined with french windows that gave the house an air of openness. Harry could even hear the murmur of lively voices coming from, what appeared to be, the door that led to the kitchen.

The Sanctuary seemed relaxed and unimposing, two things which Harry had never really experienced during his life at the Institute.

“Have a drink,” James offered again, holding out the tray to Harry and the other mutants, “You’re not used to the sunlight yet. You must be dehydrated.”

Nick immediately grabbed for a glass with a nod of thanks but Harry, Zayn and Perrie hesitated, glancing over at Louis.

“You don’t need to ask me for permission for anything you do inside the house,” Louis told them with a soft smile, gesturing towards the tray, “Please. Have a drink.”

Perrie’s hand squeezed Harry’s arm even tighter, her smile widening.

“Wicked!” she exclaimed, reaching for a glass. 

Zayn and Harry followed suit but, the moment Harry took his first sip of the cold water, he felt his throat protest. He let out an involuntary wince.

“You alright?” Perrie turned to whisper to him but before he could answer, Louis was there, hands curling protectively around Harry’s shoulders.

“What’s wrong, love?” he asked, a worried frown on his face.

Harry blinked up at Louis as the pain in his throat eased a tad, almost as if Louis were taking it from him. He remembered reading in one of his textbooks at the Institute that being in direct contact with a Master helped to ease physical and psychological pain. Still, he had never expected it to be this instantaneous.

“Haz?” 

Harry shook his head, holding up the glass.

“Nothing. It’s…just a bit cold. Hurt my throat.”

“Ah,” Louis took the glass from him, placing it back on the tray, “I should have warned you. You’re experiencing a sore throat.”

Harry let out a confused whine, one of his hands moving up to clutch at his throat. He had never had a ‘sore throat’ before, whatever that was.

“It happens sometimes,” Louis continued, moving past Harry to shut the front door, “All the underground Institutes use filtered air but here, the air is natural. It can make your throat feel a bit sore until you’ve gotten used to it. You should be fine within a week or so. Maybe stay inside the house until then. Just let me know if it gets worse.”

Harry nodded. His throat already felt better, the sharp pain having faded to a dull ache.

“Do you want me to get someone to make him a cup of tea?” the butler asked Louis, glancing at Harry.

“I’m okay,” Harry quickly stated, not wanting to trouble Louis any further, “I’m fine now.”

Louis sighed and wrapped an arm around Harry’s waist, pulling him closer.

“Don’t lie to me, Harry,” he murmured in his ear and Harry felt his cheeks flush at being caught out.

“This is your home now,” Louis continued, pulling back so Harry could meet his eye, “You have as much right to ask for a cup of tea as I do. I want you to be comfortable here. And that goes for all of you.”

Perrie, Zayn and Nick nodded so Harry did too. The last thing he wanted was to displease Louis but it would take a while for him to accept that he had a right to _ask_ for anything. That had never been allowed at the Institute.

“I’ll bring the tea to your room,” the butler told Harry, giving him an encouraging smile.

“T..thank you,” Harry managed to say and felt a pleasant warmth in his bones when Louis gave him an approving smile.

“Great! If we’re all ready, let’s get going,” Louis grinned at them before walking further into the house, leaving Harry, Perrie, Zayn and Nick to follow. 

Nick lingered back and Harry heard him ask the butler, “Does he really pay you?”

The butler nodded with a small, knowing smile, “He’s different from most Masters. You’ll see what I mean.”

It was amazing enough to have a Master who didn’t have sex with his mutants but paying them to work for him was a whole different level of unbelievable. Such things were frowned upon in human society but, as Harry was quickly learning, Louis didn’t seem to care what others thought of him or his methods.

“I’ll show you the residential wing,” Louis told them, pressing a button as they reached a lift. “Those who aren’t working the evening shift should be there. You can meet and mingle.”

Harry bit his lip, glancing at Zayn, who looked equally as uncomfortable at the prospect of meeting other mutants. Neither of them had ever spoken to anyone outside of the Institute. Harry couldn’t even begin to think what the mutants who lived at The Sanctuary were like!

Perrie, on the other hand, was bouncing on her feet with a large smile on her face. She had always been a social butterfly…well, as much of a social butterfly as one could be when they had spent their whole life in the Institute! 

When the lift doors opened, they stepped out into a marbled, circular room that had five separate corridors leading off it in different directions. Louis led them down the first one to the right until they came to a sliding metal door. In front of it was a panel, which housed a small screen.

“This is a handprint scanner,” Louis explained to them as he stepped towards the blank screen, “It stores your handprint so you can open every room in the Sanctuary that I’ve given you access to. Which, by the way, is every room except my bedroom and the third floor.”

He didn’t explain why the third floor and his bedroom were off limits. Instead, he moved to the side and held out a hand to Harry.

“You first, Haz,” he requested, giving him a soft smile.

Harry knew it didn’t mean anything that Louis had chosen him first. He had just been picking at random but it still made a warm feeling flood through Harry.

He stepped up to the panel, unable to stop himself from smiling when Louis took his right hand in his.

“Just lay your palm flat against the screen like this,” he coached, moving to stand behind Harry as the mutant placed his hand as directed. 

A red light enveloped the palm of Harry’s hand as the scanner memorised and stored his print, leaving him with a light tingling in his fingers.

“Perfectly done,” Louis praised and Harry grinned, dimples coming out.

Louis’ eyes lit up with something akin to awe and, for a few seconds, Harry could feel Louis’ entire attention being focused on him alone.

“You have dimples,” Louis whispered, taking a step closer.

Harry assumed Louis was talking about the craters in his cheeks. The same ones that Eleanor had always laughed at him for.

“You look like a baby,” she had once told him, which, judging by her tone, sounded like a bad thing.

Louis though, was regarding Harry with a look of utter fondness and…something more. Something deeper. His hand reached out, as if to touch Harry’s cheek, but he pulled back at the last instant.

Harry tried not to pout. It was his Master’s choice whether to touch him or not. He had no right to be disappointed. Louis cleared his throat, an embarrassed smile on his lips as he gestured for Perrie to step up to the panel. 

Harry moved back to stand beside Zayn but, as always, his clumsiness got the better of him. He closed his eyes as he tripped, body bracing for a painful impact but hands caught him, pulling him back against a firm chest.

“Careful, love,” Louis’ raspy voice breathed against his ear and Harry fought against the shudder of pleasure the sound brought, “Floor’s slippery.”

“S..sorry,” Harry apologised automatically and Louis let out a soft sigh.

He turned Harry around until the mutant was forced to meet the man’s blue gaze.

“No need to apologise, Haz,” Louis told him, a small frown marring his forehead.

Harry bit his lip and gave a half-shrug.

“Can’t help it,” he mumbled back, his cheeks flushing a shade darker, “It’s part of my nature.”

“What can I do to make you see me as an equal?” Louis enquired softly and Harry wasn’t the only one who gasped with shock.

“But you’re _human_!” Nick said what all of them had been thinking.

“We’ve spent our whole lives training to obey you,” Zayn added with a frown.

“I know,” Louis sighed, “And I wish I could have stopped that but here, inside this house, I’m not your Master. I’m your friend.”

Harry wasn’t the only one having to adjust his entire view of the human world to try and make sense of what Louis was telling them.

“But you must have rules!” Perrie chimed in, giving Louis a pleading look.

All of them, Harry included, functioned better with a firm set of rules. That was how they had been trained and that training would take a long while for them to modify.

Louis seemed to realise this too, for he gave her a reassuring look.

“Let’s try it this way then. I’m giving you all an order. Never apologise for something you can’t control,” Louis stated, tone mellow but firm and Harry nodded, his body shivering at the soft command.

“Okay,” Harry glanced up at Louis through his eyelashes.

For a second, it looked as if Louis were going to lean in closer to say something else, but the panel chose that moment to beep, signalling that all the new residents had gotten their handprints scanned.

Louis stepped away from Harry, letting go of him as he turned to address the whole group. Harry tried not to show how disappointed he was when the warmth of his Master’s arms left him but the look Perrie gave him told him that she, at least, had spotted it.

“Right! The system now has your details so from this moment on, you should have access to every corner of this house, apart from the areas I mentioned earlier.”

Louis gave each of them a serious look.

“Inside this room, you’ll be able to meet most of your fellow residents,” he told them, gesturing towards the closed door behind him, “As for the rules, I only have three and, because it’s such a small number, I expect you to follow them. Do you think you can do that for me?”

Harry nodded again and felt Perrie, Zayn and Nick do the same. Three rules were hardly any! Most Masters had anywhere between twenty and fifty rules that had to be observed on a daily basis. Most Masters also didn’t have the courtesy to ask whether their mutants were alright with that.

“Great! The rules are pretty straightforward, I think. The first one is, try not to do anything I expressly tell you not to do. This rule isn’t because I’m trying to be an arsehole or as a way of establishing human superiority or anything. Trust me when I say that there’s always a reason behind my orders and decisions, even if they may not be clear at the time.”

All of them nodded, Harry hanging onto every word that came out of Louis’ mouth. There was just something about the man that inspired an almost awe-worthy admiration in him.

“Secondly, never put yourself or your fellow mutants in danger. Even if it’s to protect me. Take care of yourselves first.”

And that…was a confusing rule.

“But it’s our _job_ to protect you,” Zayn voiced what they were all thinking.

Louis shook his head, a resigned frown on his face.

“Remember what I said earlier? In here, I’m your friend. It’ll take you a while to understand what I mean but let me make this very clear; your only job at The Sanctuary is to keep yourself happy and safe. If something happened to any of you, I…I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt.”

Louis gulped and looked away. Harry couldn’t help but feel that there was something more to that statement but he didn’t dare to ask.

“And finally, please feel free to talk to me if you have any problems. I’m here to help. I want you to be comfortable. No problem is too small to tell me, alright?”

Harry, Perrie, Zayn and Nick nodded again and Louis grinned, satisfied.

“Well, then let’s get you introduced!”

He turned to the panel and placed his palm on it. In just a matter of seconds, an automated voice announced, “Lord Louis Tomlinson, entering the common room.”

Louis winced and muttered, “I can never get the stupid thing to just call me Louis!”

Harry felt his lips curl up into a smile and Louis caught it, giving him a wink.

“Ta da! This is the common room,” Louis pronounced, waving a hand as the metal doors opened to reveal a large, carpeted, luxuriously-furnished room. 

Nick’s eyes moved to the gaming consoles set up in one corner, Zayn’s lingered on the art and craft supplies that were spread out over a large table, Perrie eyed the plush sofa with a soft sigh of contentment. Harry though, didn’t focus on anything apart from the fifteen or so people sprawled out around the room. 

Most of them were chatting or laughing. They raised their eyes towards Louis when he walked in, gave him a nod of acknowledgement, before they continued on with their conversations. It was so different from the Institute where you were expected to stop talking and kneel down in front of figures of authority. It should have been a nice change but to Harry, it was yet another unfamiliar aspect of life. All the mutants here were so loud and expressive. It felt… _unnatural_ after their training at the Institute.

“Fuck you, you tosser! You cheated ‘round that last corner there. Did ya see him, Louis? He fucking cheated!” 

Harry looked towards the sound of the loud voice, to see a dark haired man with very familiar, cornflower blue eyes and gold-tinged wings. Even if Harry hadn’t been able to remember Niall’s brother from their time at the Institute together, there was no way to overlook the family resemblance.

“Sorry, Greg,” Louis chuckled, “Didn’t see a thing.”

“Yeah, Horan. Be gracious in defeat,” Greg’s companion laughed. 

“Fuck you too, Matthew,” Greg stated with no venom in his voice, flipping the guy off easily before getting up and flying towards them. 

He landed gracefully on his feet in front of Harry. 

“Well, well. This is like a blast from the past, innit? All these familiar faces ‘cept all grown up now,” Greg smirked at them before pulling Harry and Perrie into a bone-crushing hug, his wings enveloping them the same way Niall’s always did.

“Good to see you too,” Perrie managed to say, despite the feathers in her face.

“Let them breathe please, Greg,” Louis’ voice cut across and Harry couldn’t conceal his relief when Greg finally let go, the tip of one wing brushing over Harry’s hair apologetically.

“Sorry! Just got a bit excited, is all,” he shrugged, unrepentantly. 

He was a bit more careful when greeting Zayn, just holding out a hand, which Zayn shook with a cautious smile.

“How’s the Institute been treating ya?” Greg asked.

Harry, Perrie and Zayn all bit their lip, glancing over at Louis. At the Institute, you always had to wait for humans to give you their permission before you could give honest answers.

“As bad as ever then,” Greg stated, catching the looks, “We don’t need to ask Louis for permission around here. Just when we’re in public.”

Louis rolled his eyes.

“He _pretends_ to ask me for permission when we’re in public,” he told Harry, Zayn, Perrie and Nick, “The day Greg Horan actually takes orders from me, is the day pigs fly.”

Greg’s smile widened.

“Speaking of flyin’, how’s that little brother of mine been?”   
A hint of worry suddenly entered his eyes, “Did you see who bought him? It wasn’t the Cowell brothers, was it?”

“No,” Louis said before anyone else could respond, “Lottie’s the one who bought him. I would have bid for him myself but you know how Lottie is once she’s decided she wants someone. There’s no way I would have won against her. It was difficult enough to get her away from my lovely Harry.”

Harry felt his body thrum with happiness at Louis’ words. He had called Harry lovely but, more importantly, he had called him _his_. The possessive tone of the words had Harry’s mutant nature melting into a puddle of joy.

Greg’s relief was apparent from the way his wings spread out, lifting him a few feet off the ground.

“Lottie’s a gem,” he stated with utter sincerity, “Niall’s gonna have a blast! Pity she missed out on having the better Horan though.”

“Oh yeah,” Louis muttered, sarcastically, “A bucket of charm, you are.”

Greg casually flipped him off and all of the new residents gasped, simultaneously.

“I told you,” Louis told them but his eyes crinkled with a smile, “He doesn’t have an ounce of respect for me.”

Greg cackled again, possibly because he could see the shock on Harry, Perrie, Zayn and Nick’s faces.

“You’ve all got so much to learn about this place,” he stated before turning to survey Nick, “I know the rest of you but who the hell is this bugger?”

“Language!” Louis chided lightly making Greg grin again. 

“I’m Nick,” Nick introduced himself with an easy smile, “I was transferred to the Institute a couple of years ago.”

Greg nodded and shook his hand. 

“Alright, I’m going to have to leave you guys for a bit,” Louis said turning to face them all but his eyes lingered on Harry a trace longer, “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Get settled in, yeah?”

“You can leave them in my capable hands,” Greg winked at them, wearing a grin that was painfully similar to Niall’s.

Louis chuckled.   
“Nice try, love. Where’s Jade? She’s the official welcoming committee. She’ll show you to your rooms and explain how things work around here.”

Greg mumbled something about how she had the easiest job.

“I’m here,” a girl who had been lying on the sofa raised her head,drowsily, “Hi there. I’m Jade. Welcome to The Sanctuary.”

Louis rolled his eyes and muttered, “Picture of enthusiasm, this one.”

Harry tried to bite back a laugh but, judging by the way Louis’ eyes glittered, he wasn’t very successful at hiding his amusement.

“Okay. Well, I’ll leave you lot to it,” Louis finally started walking towards the door.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Greg asked.

Louis sighed then mumbled, “Hospital wing,” before making a swift exit.

Harry looked around to see Jade had moved from the sofa and was now standing in front of them, a wide grin on her face as she saw Perrie.

“Finally! Another girl!” 

Perrie looked surprised. “Are…are we the only two?”

“Us, Lux and Leigh,” Jade answered, “But the more the merrier, right? Leigh’s down in the kitchens at the moment, helping prepare dinner. She’ll be so jealous she wasn’t here to greet you. Oh! There’s so much I have to show you! Like magazines! You’ve probably never seen those but they’re-”

Harry blinked at Jade as she spoke, her words coming out in a rapid and seemingly never-ending, flow. Perrie looked absolutely delighted to have met her.

“Anyway, I better show you all to your rooms. We each share a room between two. Hold on. Let me just get the list.”

Jade disappeared, quite literally; vanished into thin air. Harry blinked and a second later she was back, holding a clipboard in her hand. 

“You’ve got super speed!” Perrie exclaimed, taking the words right out of Harry’s mouth.

Jade grinned and nodded. 

“Sonic speed, they call it. I can’t go too far though. Louis’ still having me trained on how to use it without tiring myself out. You’ll all get an allocated time with the personal trainer too. His name’s Paul. He tailors the sessions based on your individual powers to help you strengthen them.”

“Isn’t that…dangerous?” Nick asked, suspiciously.

Most Masters refused to give mutants any kind of formal training, apart from what they had acquired during their years at the Institute. It was considered dangerous for mutants to become aware of their own powers to a greater extent than strictly necessary for protection.

“Louis trusts us,” Jade answered as if a Master trusting his mutants was an everyday occurrence, “I know it seems weird at first but you’ll get used to it. Come on! The bedrooms are this way.”

Greg waved at them as they followed Jade out of the common room. 

She led them back out to the corridor and down another hallway. Harry noted the lights here were much dimmer than in the common room, just small flickers of gold against the walls. Harry could see that there were doors on both sides of the hallway, evenly spaced out, but Jade kept walking until they got to the very end. 

“Right. So, Nick?” she turned to the older man and handed over a key, “You can share with Matt -he’s the one that was gaming with Greg. A bit vain but otherwise a pretty chill guy. Get settled in. There should be clothes and other essential things in the cupboard. All of you will have a session with the tailor this week, so you can get clothes that better reflect your style. The bathrooms are to the right of this hallway, if you want to have a shower and freshen up. If you need anything else, let me or Louis know.”

Nick nodded and entered his room, closing the door behind him before Harry could see what the interior looked like. 

“Oh! And dinner’s at six, sharp,” Jade called through the now closed door before turning to face the rest of them.

“Zayn and Harry-I’ve got a room in this corridor that you two can share and Perrie- you can have the room next to mine, down the other corridor.”

She left Zayn and Harry in front of a door with a bronze key, before leading Perrie in a different direction.

Harry took a shaky breath and laid a hand on the door handle.

“Ready to see where we’ll be living?” he asked, trying to keep it light but sounding more apprehensive than he cared to show.

Zayn grinned. “Did you see the paints and canvases in the common room? I don’t care if we’re expected to sleep on a bed of thorns, as long as I get to have a go at doing some art!” 

Harry laughed, pleased that Zayn seemed happy. It was a feeling he hadn’t had much of a chance to experience at the Institute. 

“Go on then. Open it,” Zayn prodded Harry on the arm until he huffed and turned the key in the lock.

Both of them stood on the threshold, blinking at the room in complete astonishment. It was bigger than any room they had ever slept in- with two large, poster beds and a soft, furry carpet covering the floor. The walls were a pale cream that reminded Harry of his room at the Institute and there was a window that looked out into a garden, filled with a variety of colourful flowers.

Harry gasped, his feet automatically taking him to the window but he drew back with a cry of discomfort when the bright light from outside hit him. 

“Here, idiot,” Zayn muttered, fondly, reaching past Harry to draw the dark velvet curtains shut. 

Harry sighed gratefully, his eyes much more accustomed to the dimmer lights inside the house.

“What do you think of it then?” Zayn asked, carefully perching himself on one end of the bed. 

Harry showed no such consideration, falling back onto the soft mattress with a sigh of happiness. He hadn’t known beds could be this soft! He thought back to the lumpy bed he normally slept in and felt a jolt of anger run through him. The Institute was the place that was meant to care for mutants but Louis had provided all of them with more in the few hours they’d known him than the Institute had their whole lives!

“It’s really nice, innit?” Zayn murmured after a moment of contemplative silence, “Nothing like what I thought it would be.”

Harry nodded. 

“It’s pretty,” he agreed then sat up with a yelp of fear when an unfamiliar voice said, “Not yet, it isn’t!”

Harry grabbed Zayn’s arm before the mutant accidentally electrocuted the girl who had sauntered into their room, unannounced. She had blonde hair that was pulled up into space buns and tied off with violet and black ribbons. She was wearing jeans and a crop top and had an assortment of bracelets decorating her wrists. Her thin-framed glasses served to highlight her baby blue eyes that, for some reason, reminded Harry of Niall’s; warm and mischievous. 

“Jade told me I’d find you here. Harry and Zayn, right? I’m Lux,” she introduced herself, giving Harry and Zayn a bright grin, either oblivious to their shocked expressions or purposefully choosing to ignore it. “I’m the interior decorator. Louis insisted on leaving the walls beige until you guys moved in so you could pick the colour and design you wanted. So, what’ll it be?”

Harry blinked at her, beyond confused.

“I…what?” he finally managed to say, hoping to get some clarification. 

“Colour,” Lux repeated, “And design. For your bedroom’s walls. Take your time. I get paid by the hour.”

She grinned and gave them a wink, stretching her arms up above her head as she waited for their decisions.

Zayn was frowning next to Harry, his hands twitching with pent-up energy in a way that was dangerous for all involved. His eyes were still a golden-brown though, which meant he wasn’t on the verge of losing control.

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Lux huffed after another minute of silence, “Let me show you what I mean.”

She reached out a hand and placed it on the wall beside Harry’s bed. She closed her eyes for a moment then rubbed her hand over the smooth wall. Harry’s mouth fell open as colours seemed to flow out of her hand, winding along his wall in a intricate design. It only took a few minutes for his half of the room to have a wall of bright yellow with a border of green leaves.

“Before you ask,” Lux spoke just as Harry was about to open his mouth, “I can’t tell you what my power is because I have no clue myself. I visualise things and they just appear. Like, for example…”

She placed her hand on the floor and suddenly, there was a bean bag rising out of the floor, filling the space in the corner perfectly.

“I’m not sure where it comes from, to be honest,” Lux said with an air of contemplation as she studied the bean bag, “But once I learnt how to control it, Louis let me furnish the house so this stuff is obviously not being stolen or anything. Do you like the beds?”

Harry opened his mouth to speak again but this time, Zayn beat him to it.

“You _created_ our beds?” he asked and his voice showed genuine admiration.

Lux nodded, grinning.   
“We haven’t had any new mutants join us in a while. I was bored so Louis gave me a whole bunch of rooms to furnish in any way I pleased.”

“It’s great,” Harry finally managed to say, “Lovely.”

“Good,” Lux nodded before turning to Zayn’s half of the room, “So Zaynie, tell me what colour you want.”

Harry glanced at Zayn, worried that Lux may have overstepped by using a nickname (the only person who could address him that way was Liam) but Zayn just tilted his head to the side to survey the wall before as he stood up and walked towards the girl.

“Well, I was thinking of maybe having a…” 

Harry tuned out their conversation as Zayn and Lux tossed creative ideas at each other. His thoughts wandered to Niall and Liam. Both of them had seemed happy enough with their new Masters. He wondered if Lottie was as nice as Louis, if Niall was this lucky. Greg certainly seemed to think so.

Maybe they would be able to see Niall again, seeing as both of their Masters were siblings. It was a comforting thought to have.

Liam on the other hand…

Sophia had seemed nice enough but really, Harry knew nothing about her. He glanced over at Zayn, who was directing Lux on where to draw an intricate design of a dragon. At least Zayn seemed happy, for the moment. 

It wasn’t as if any of them had held out much hope that Liam and Zayn could be together but it had still been a bit of a shock to see Liam being led out by a woman and Zayn not being at his side.

It was just…strange. 

Harry’s thoughts changed track and he started to wonder where Louis was. The hospital wing, he had said, but why was he going there? 

It was only when Zayn raised an eyebrow at him that he realised he’d said that last question out loud. He felt his face flush red but the most concerning thing was how Lux’s bright smile dimmed, her shoulders slumping.

“It’s…the mutant he tried to bond with,” she explained, scratching the back of her neck in a nervous manner, “You guys live here now so it’s only a matter of time before you find out about it. Louis’ parents were pressuring him to find a mate and they chose Hannah for him but…well, I’m sure you’ve heard the stories.”

“The bonding didn’t work,” Zayn volunteered the information and Lux nodded, biting her lip.

“Yeah. Louis was…he never meant to hurt her and when they agreed to bond, it was consensual but when it didn’t work, he blamed himself. Locked himself in his room and didn’t talk to any of us for weeks. The whole Sanctuary kind of…shut in on itself. Louis’ always been our rock, the one who’s there for us to talk to whenever anything’s bothering us and for those few weeks, he just wasn’t around. The only place he would leave his room to visit was the hospital wing,” Lux’s eyes had a wet sheen to them as she recalled the painful memories. 

“Eventually, his sister marched in here and demanded he stop blaming himself. It didn’t really work but at least he stopped shutting himself away from us. Still, he’s not the same person he was before the bonding incident happened. He still smiles and jokes around but not as often as he used to. He hasn’t even let any of us enter his bedroom or take care of his needs since…” Lux trailed off with a sigh and Harry tried not to show his surprise when Zayn, who normally took a long time to warm up to people, reached over and pulled her into a hug.

Harry could feel the sadness radiating off her and that, combined with how he imagined Louis must have felt during those difficult weeks, made his eyes water. 

Lux gave Zayn a grateful smile when she pulled back, before continuing.   
“We were all surprised when he told us he was going to the Market this year. We figured it was to distract himself from Hannah and all that, a part of his healing.”

“What happened to her?” Harry found himself asking, voice shaky, “Hannah? What happened when the bonding didn’t work?”

Lux shook her head with a frown.  
“I honestly don’t know. She’s still in the hospital wing but only Louis and his family know her exact condition. We’re all banned from going there until she recovers or…”

The words, “or dies”, lingered unsaid but Harry still shivered. 

“I hope she gets better soon,” Harry finally murmured after a few moments of heavy silence.

“Yeah,” Lux nodded, “I wish I’d gotten to know her a bit better. She was brought to The Sanctuary by Louis’ parents the week before her and Louis were supposed to bond. It was all pre-arranged. He didn’t really have a choice in the matter and…we could all kind of _sense_ his frustration about it so none of us even bothered to speak to her. Just treated her as if she were part of the furniture but, thinking back, it hadn’t been her fault either. She had no more choice in the matter than he did.”

Harry didn’t know what to say so he kept silent. Thankfully, Lux shook herself out of her thoughts and turned back to paint the walls again. 

Harry murmured some excuse about needing to use the loo before slipping quietly out of the room. He had no idea where he was going but he needed to get away from the heaviness that had suddenly settled over the place. Or maybe that heaviness just came from Harry now knowing a little bit more about Louis’ life. 

He had always thought humans were the lucky ones in society, despite living in a world where they constantly required protection. Now though, as he thought about Louis and a faceless mutant in a hospital wing, as he pictured Louis fighting with his guilt over something he had no control of, as he imagined how helpless he would feel as he watched over her, Harry began to think that being human was not quite so lucky a thing after all.

*********************************************************************************

Harry wasn’t sure where he was anymore. He had wandered down corridors, thankfully not running into anyone else and, at some point, he was pretty sure he had climbed up a few sets of stairs. 

All that had been on his mind were Louis and Hannah. Now, he found himself standing in a white-marbled corridor that smelt of something warm and comforting. He wasn’t sure which way to go to get back to his own room and no one answered when he tried to call out. 

So, he wandered further, only stopping when he came to a wooden door that was different from all the others he had seen in the house. 

This one had a golden handle shaped like a ring. The wood itself was carved with ornate lettering that spelled out the word ‘Tomlinson’, followed by an intricate pattern that Harry remembered reading about in his history class at the Institute. Every human, he remembered the book saying, had a family crest. The more pure a human’s lineage was, the more elaborate their crest would be. This beautiful design, Harry knew without a doubt, was the Tomlinson family crest and it confirmed his thoughts that both of Louis’ parents were human. A pure human lineage.

He wondered what had made the Tomlinsons decide to bond their son to a mutant. Sure, most human families wanted that, not because it was honourable but because it would guarantee their children’s safety. A mutant would go to any extent to ensure their mate was safe, even if it meant giving up their own life. Forced bondings, however, were rare, mostly because of the high possibility of bond rejection. 

So what then, Harry wondered, had made Mr and Mrs. Tomlinson seek out a mutant for their son to bond with? What had happened that made them think Louis needed the full-scale protection of a mate, especially when he lived in a place as safe as The Sanctuary? 

The wooden door was partially open, just enough that there was a crack of light spilling through.

Harry knew he shouldn’t, knew he should turn back but he couldn’t stop himself from reaching towards it. His skin had barely made contact with the handle when the door swung open, leaving Harry to stumble into a room that resembled a library. The door nicked shut behind him and a faint buzzing filled the air.

Harry spun around and reached out to try and open the door but it seemed to have locked itself, leaving him trapped inside the room. The buzzing sounded like a muted version of the Institute’s alarm and Harry gulped, terrified he had gotten himself into trouble within the hour!

Would Louis send him back to the Institute? He could just imagine the look of utter contempt on Eleanor’s face when he was taken back. 

He sighed to himself, stepping away from the door and sinking down to his knees. His body craved Louis’ touch, needing his Master to be there, to hold him and soothe him, tell him it was all going to be okay and that he wasn’t going to be sent back to the Institute by himself.

Harry took a few deep breaths, forcing his instincts back. He needed a clear head if he hoped to get out of here without being caught. He glanced around the place, pleasantly surprised by the decor. It was unlike anything he had seen so far!

The carpet was a rich red, soft under his knees. He had to clench his hands into fists to prevent giving in to the urge to stretch himself across it like a cat. There were polished, wooden shelves all along the sides of the room, filled with large tomes that Harry would not have been able to understand, even if he did get a chance to look at them. The entire room smelt of Louis- a tantalising scent that Harry wanted to wrap himself in. It made him feel safe, even as his heart raced. It made him feel bolder than he ever had before in his life.

The comfiest piece of furniture seemed to be the large armchair, piled with cushions. A large, oak desk was situated a few feet in front of Harry. It contained nothing but a lamp, sheets of paper and a seal, emblazoned with the Tomlinson crest. 

Behind the desk was a wide bay window, slightly tinted to prevent the light from being overbearingly bright. It overlooked, what seemed to be, a large quantity of water.

Harry had never seen anything like it but he found himself getting up from the floor and wandering closer to the window. The water reminded him of the deep blue of Louis’ eyes and, for some bizarre reason, he wanted to reach out and touch it.

Would it feel like the water in the communal showers at the Institute- freezing cold and harsh on his skin? Or would it be warm from the sunlight, soothing and welcoming? Harry’s fingers grazed the cool glass and suddenly, he was being pulled by something.

It was like a hook in his gut, dragging him forward, even though his feet had not left the floor. He closed his eyes, body thrumming with a sort of energy he had never experienced. When he finally managed to catch his breath, he opened his eyes to see that the world had shifted around him. 

 

He was now standing in a grey, concrete-floored room, nothing like the warm study he had been in seconds ago. The cold seeped into his skin, chilling him in a way that was reminiscent of the Institute. 

“You’re lucky,” a female voice rang through the room, “Lord Tomlinson treats mutants well. It is an honour to be chosen as his mate.”

Harry turned around and spotted a cot tucked into the corner of the cold room. On it, sat two women. One of them had blue-green eyes and golden-blonde hair that had clearly been styled recently. Her lips though, looked bitten raw, as if she had been worrying them between her teeth for hours. She looked young, barely eighteen.

The woman with her looked much older and bore a resemblance to her in facial features. But, where the younger girl looked scared and uncertain, the older one looked confident and happy.

“It is the best future I could have hoped for you, little sister,” the older woman murmured, “It’s a golden opportunity, Hannah. Get out of here while you can.”

_Hannah…_

Harry took a step back. He was confused. Where was he? Wasn’t Hannah in the hospital wing? Why hadn’t the women spotted him yet?

“Tracey,” Hannah’s voice came out soft, a thread of worry weaving through the words, “Y..you used to tell me that soulmates were chosen by destiny. What’s going to happen if Lord Tomlinson and I aren’t-”

“Hush, child!” the woman silenced her frantically, casting a nervous look around the room. 

It was the first time her confident demeanour had slipped, which told Harry she was putting on a brave act for her sister’s benefit.

“You must _never_ let them hear you say that. Never even _think_ that. Destiny and soulmates are simply a myth, a story I used to tell you as a little girl when you had nightmares,” the woman whispered, reaching over to pull Hannah into a hug, letting the girl rest her head against her shoulder, “What matters most is belief. If you hold firm to the belief that he is your mate, the bond will take. That’s all there is to it.”

“But…what if he doesn’t want to be mine, Tracey? What if he’s waiting for his true mate?”

“Nonsense! The Tomlinsons chose _you_ , Hannah. They want their son settled. If we had refused their offer, you would have been put up for sale again at the Market next month. That’s not something I’ve ever wanted for you.”

“No one would buy me anyway. They didn’t last time. I could stay here, the way you did,” Hannah muttered but Tracey pushed her away, standing up.

“ _This_ is what your future will be if you stay here,” she stated, coldly, pulling up the sleeve of her cloak to reveal a dark tattoo.

Despite himself, Harry stepped closer to see. The lines seemed to be a tally of sorts.

“Four,” Hannah whispered, quietly, averting her eyes from her sister’s.

Harry could feel the shame and guilt coursing through her.

“Four,” Tracey agreed, “That’s how many children I’ve given birth to. That’s how many mutants I’ve brought into this world. And they’re still not done with me.”

Harry noticed, for the first time, the small bump of her stomach that she had previously been covering with her hands. His mind flicked back to the girl-Taylor- who had gone through final Testing with them. He remembered the way she had been crying, telling them that she was a carrier and that she would be put into the Breeding program.

“If no one buys you at the Market again, they will force you to carry out this duty. They won’t give you another chance to be bought,” the woman’s voice shook slightly, betraying her true fear at the possibility of her little sister going through the same thing, “You’re lucky you caught the Tomlinsons’ eye. I’ve heard their son is very handsome…and an excellent Master.”

Harry could feel the effect the word had on Hannah, for the girl’s eyes glazed over slightly, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth. Harry understood the reaction.

A mutant’s genetics craved to be dominated. It was hard and rare to find a Master who could walk the fine line between respecting them for who they were and understanding when they wished to submit. Louis, Harry had no doubt, knew the line well.

“Why…?” Hannah bit her lip as she asked, “Why did they choose me? I’m not very powerful.”

“Lord Tomlinson had…an incident recently,” Tracey answered, her words barely a whisper, “One of his mutants, a powerful one, lost control. Lord Tomlinson nearly got hurt. That’s why his parents decided to get him bonded. But, at the same time, the Tomlinsons are worried about him bonding to someone that has too volatile a power. They don’t want a repeat of the unfortunate incident.”

“But…anyone he mates with can never turn against him,” Hannah pointed out, a frown on her face, “Their first priority will be to ensure no one that wishes him any harm is able to come within touching distance of him. His parents have no need to worry, regardless of how powerful the mutant is.”

“Yes, well. Humans don’t always understand how our biology works,” Tracey replied, voice still quiet, “Which is lucky for you. Your ability to enchant someone with your voice isn’t one that will get you many buyers in the Market when you’re put in a sound-proofed case. That’s why you’re lucky the Tomlinsons heard you sing and want you. They love their son. The last thing they’d want is to bond him to someone who he ends up hating. They think your ability, combined with his love for music, will help your relationship to be…companionable, at the very least. And having an enchanting voice is a great defence mechanism. You can protect him from those that wish him harm. It’s a good arrangement, the best you can hope for.”

Hannah gave a short nod of acceptance and Harry could sense her emotions from across the room. It was a mixture of anticipation and worry tinged with tentative hope and a small strand of joy. Her body was rejoicing at the thought of having a dominant mate but her mind was still torn.

Her sister let out a sigh of relief, sinking back on the bed beside her.

“Trust me, Hannah. Being Lord Tomlinson’s mate is the best thing that could happen to a mutant. Don’t worry about the bonding. Just believe in it.”

“You think it’ll be that simple?”   
There was a sliver of hope in Hannah’s eyes.

Tracey smiled, smoothing her hand over her younger sibling’s hair.

“What’s the worst that could happen, darling?”

Harry wanted to step forward, wanted to warn them about what the future held but before he could, he was being pulled again.

 

The scene shifted and now, he was in a much more luxuriously furnished room. The carpet looked soft and the walls were decked in velvet tapestries. It took Harry a moment to realise the golden crest on top of the mantelpiece was the same as the one he had seen on the wooden door to the study. A large fireplace warmed the room and there, on a plush chair, sat Hannah.

Her sister was no longer with her and Harry could sense her nervous energy from where he stood. 

Opposite her, sat a trio of identical, wide-eyed girls. They watched her warily from their spot on the neighbouring sofa, occasionally turning to whisper to each other in soft voices.

Suddenly, one of them stood up, glaring at Hannah. When the girl spoke, Harry felt a sense of familiarity rush through him.

There was no mistaking the accent or the determined blue eyes. They were definitely related to Louis and Harry would bet his right arm they were his younger sisters. Not Lottie though. All three of the Tomlinson girls looked to be no older than ten.

“I don’t like you,” the one who had stood up stated.

Hannah’s eyes widened and Harry felt the shame coursing through her. Their mutant nature didn’t care about the words so much as the tone. A human being displeased by them, even if they had done nothing wrong, made their bodies react accordingly.

Hannah’s eyes were filling up with tears when one of the other girls spoke.

“Don’t be so horrid to her, Debbie! Mummy and Daddy chose her.”

“So?” the girl called Debbie insisted, “You don’t like her either, Dinah. Neither does Daphne.”

She pointed to the third triplet, who shrugged in a disinterested fashion.

“And Mummy said I can say whatever I want to in our house,” Debbie continued, “Not even Louis likes-”

“That’s enough, Debs,” a firm voice called out and Harry turned towards the sound before he could stop himself.

There, in the doorway, wearing a crisp suit, stood Louis. His body looked tense, eyes wary, but his tone remained confident as he addressed his sisters.

“She’s our guest,” Louis continued, “And you will apologise for hurting her feelings.”

Debbie let out an annoyed huff but she still turned to Hannah to mumble a quiet, “Sorry for being rude.”

Her sisters echoed the sentiment.

“Good. Now scram. I would like to speak with my…future mate, alone.”

Louis said the words with a certain amount of discomfort but he moved to take the now-vacated seat opposite Hannah, as his sisters ran out of the room.

Harry watched as the mutant tucked her blonde hair behind her ear, eyes dropping down to the floor.

“Hannah,” Louis coughed, cleared his throat before continuing, “May I call you Hannah?”

Hannah nodded, biting her lip. She peeked up at Louis and something about the way he was holding himself must have made her feel safe, for she relaxed, just a tad.

“I know this isn’t an… _ideal_ situation for either of us,” Louis continued, letting out a nervous chuckle, “I never really planned on bonding with anyone, unless I met my true mate.”

Louis winced as if he hadn’t meant to let that slip, before sighing.

“Look, Hannah. I’m going to be honest with you. This isn’t how I imagined my life would go but my parents are…they’re old fashioned and they aren’t willing to wait around for me to find my true mate. They feel that I need more protection than what I currently have in The Sanctuary, which I disagree with but the close call I had with one of my newly rescued mutants didn’t really help matters any.”

Louis sighed, rubbing a hand over his face before clearing his throat.

“I see you the same way I see all of my mutants. As an equal. So, if you wanted to back out of this,” Louis’ tone sounded slightly hopeful, “If you’re not happy about being bonded to me, all you have to do is tell me and I’ll take care of it.”

“You’ll send me back to the Institute?” Hannah murmured, eyes wide and fearful.

Louis cursed under his breath.

“No! No, I wouldn’t send you back there, Hannah. I’d…I can find you a place at the Sanctuary. There’s plenty of room for you to-”

Louis’ voice cut off as a toddler ran into the room, screaming his name.

“Lou! Lou!”

“Joe,” Louis smiled for the first time since he had entered the room, arms moving to lift the boy up into his lap, “It’s way past your bedtime, little man.”

“Don’t wanna sleep,” Joe mumbled.

Louis chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to the toddler’s blonde curls.

“This is my youngest brother, Joseph,” he introduced the boy to Hannah.

Hannah smiled at the child before her eyes moved back to Louis. There was something different in her gaze now, no longer scared or nervous. She seemed…thrilled.

“You’re good with children,” Hannah murmured and her tone was borderline flirtatious.

Louis looked uncomfortable but, polite as ever, he replied with, “I guess I’m comfortable around kids. I practically raised the triplets before I moved out of my parents’ house.”

“You’d make a good mate,” Hannah replied.

Louis opened his mouth, possibly to refute the statement but Hannah spoke before he could.

“I want to do it. Be bonded to you. If..if you’ll have me,” she smiled up at Louis, knowing that he wouldn’t… _couldn’t_ refuse.

She wasn’t being manipulative…not exactly. She was making the best of a bad situation. Hannah, like most mutants, wanted a secure future and although being in The Sanctuary would guarantee her safety, bonding with a human was the only way she could ever have children. For some mutants, that was a dream come true.

Harry recognised the look in her eyes. It was a look of longing.

Louis forced himself to smile, reaching out a hand to gently pat Hannah’s. The touch, though nothing more than friendly, made her smile widen.

“If..that’s what you really want,” Louis took a deep breath and Harry closed his eyes as he heard the next words, “I’ll try my best to be a good mate.”

Harry felt the now familiar pull, taking him deeper, into another scene.

 

This time, he was in a hospital. On one of the beds, lay Hannah, face pale and breathing laboured. To her right, clutching her hand, sat Louis. He looked haunted, as if he couldn’t believe this was happening.

“You’re going to be okay,” Louis was murmuring, over and over again, as if trying to convince himself.

Hannah let out a choked sound that might have been a laugh. The right side of her neck had a bandage on it, already soaked through with a dark red stain.

“M..my s..sister,” she whispered, Louis leaning in to hear her better, “S..she was wrong. Believing isn’t enough for the bond to f..form.”

Louis looked stricken.

“I…” he trailed off, blinking back tears, “I’m so sorry, Hannah. If I had known something like this would happen…my parents never told me about bond rejection. I had no idea-”

“I know,” Hannah replied, a small smile on her face, “Y..you’re a good man, Louis. I’m so glad I got to m..meet you.”

She was shivering now.

“Tell me that again when you’re out of here,” Louis replied, a forced smile on his face.

“I might not-”

“Yes, you will,” Louis’ voice was firm but then it softened, “I’m so sorry, love. If I had known-”

Hannah shook her head. 

“You did everything right. We just weren’t m..meant to be.”

“Lord Tomlinson,” one of the nurses said, softly, “You need to leave. The doctor needs to check her vitals again and we’re not supposed to allow visitors with the patient until she’s stable.”

Louis ignored her, leaning in to press a kiss to the top of Hannah’s head.

“You’ll be okay,” he repeated, squeezing her hand in his, “You’re going to make it out of this alive.”

“I’ll still h..have a room at The S..sanctuary?” Hannah mumbled.

“Always,” Louis replied, “You’ll always be welcome in my home.”

Hannah’s eyes shifted up to meet his then, a soft smile on her face.

“Whoever your true mate is,” she breathed out, “They’re going to be s..so lucky.”

Her eyes closed, breaths evening out and then, Louis was being forcefully escorted out the door.

“Arranged bondings are never a good idea. I hope you find your true mate soon,” a nurse murmured to him as he passed and Harry could see the way Louis’ jaw tightened with restrained anger.

If she had been trying to comfort him, she’d fallen a mile short. In this moment, Louis wasn’t thinking about his true mate. He was thinking about the girl who was fighting for her life in a hospital bed; he was thinking about how it was his fault she was there.

 

Another pull, and the scene shifted again but this time, there were no visuals. Just emotions and voices, snatches of conversations Harry had never witnessed.

Harry pressed his hands to his ears but the voices were louder, pulsing through him, determined to be heard.

“Induced coma,” someone stated in a professional voice, “It might help her recover but you should be prepared for the possibility that…”

The voice faded away, fear taking its place. Then came the anger. The feeling coursed through Harry but he knew it wasn’t his own. None of it was.

“Discharged,” another voice rang out, “It’s been weeks. She’s still in a coma. You can take her back to your house. There’s nothing more we can do for her here. You have a medical wing there, right?”

A feeling of hopelessness floated over Harry.

 

_“Please,”_ it was Louis’ voice, barely a whisper, _“You’ve got to survive this, Hannah! Please?”_

No one answered him.

Helplessness was the prominent emotion now, heaped with a heavy serving of guilt. 

 

“Louis-”

An unwelcome voice.

“Get out.”

“Lou-”

“I said, _get out_!” 

“You can’t hide in here forever, son,” a female voice murmured, “You may hate us now but we thought we were doing the right thing. We never expected for all this to happen.” 

“She’s just a mutant, after all,” a male voice added, “No sense getting cut up over it, son. There’s plenty more where she came-”

“ _Get the fuck out of my house_!” Louis’ shout was louder than last time.

“That’s no way to talk to your parents!”

“He asked you to leave,” another voice stated gruffly. This one bore the familiar accent of Greg Horan.

“Is _this_ how you train your mutants? To talk back to us?” the male voice, Louis’ father, asked, derision in every word.

“I don’t see you walking out the door yet,” Greg answered.

“I will not stand for this kind of-”

“You heard him,” Louis cut across, voice cold, “Get out of my house before Greg gets an army together. You and mother are not welcome here anymore.”

“How _dare_ you-”

“Leave it, Bill,” the female voice stated firmly. “We’ll talk when you’re ready then, Louis. We love you.”

A door slammed shut and the feeling of anger was back, this time, directed at his parents. 

 

“Louis, this place is falling apart!” Lottie’s voice, loud and determined, burst through, “Pull yourself together!”

“I can’t…I _can’t_ …” 

Guilt, anger, self-loathing. All directed at himself.

“Yes, you can.” her voice left no room for doubt, “You’ve done everything you can for Hannah. All we can do now is wait. But those mutants out there- the ones who you saved, who live and work in your house- they need you now. The whole place feels like a graveyard. You’ve got to be there for them, Louis. Even if it hurts.”

“ _How_?” Confused, powerless. 

“Be there for them,” Lottie whispered, voice softer, soothing, “They need you as much as you need them. Save some more mutants if that helps. Surround yourself with love. Everything’s going to work out, Lou.”

An inkling of hope came through, slight but apparent. Maybe…maybe not all of it had been his fault. Maybe there wasn’t anything he could have done at the time…

A deep breath, a feeling of calm that came with having made a final decision.

“Do me a favour, Lotts? Tell our parents…tell them I’m never bonding with anyone again. Ever.”

“What if your true mate-”

“I don’t want a mate, Lottie. Never again.”

A pause, a sigh filled with sadness.

“If..that’s what you really want.”

“It is.”

 

“ _Harry!_ Haz, come on, love. It’s okay. You’re okay,” the voice was familiar, drawing him back to the here and now.

Harry opened his eyes with a sob. His cheeks were damp from tears that were still falling, eyes unable to see past them. Emotions. So many emotions had gone through him, none of them his own. Worried eyes were watching him now- familiar, blue eyes. 

“Harry, what’s wrong? What happened?”

He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn’t. Sobs came out instead, loud and heart-wrenching. He didn’t feel as if he were himself just yet. And then came the warmth. He was being lifted up and placed on someone’s lap, tugged back against a firm chest. His head was laid on someone’s shoulder and he was pulled close as he sobbed into the crook of their neck. 

“Shh, it’s alright, love. Let it all out. Yeah, that’s it,” the soothing voice was familiar, as was the hand that was carding through his hair, sweeping it off his forehead and tucking it behind his ears.

“L..Lou?” he asked, wetly, letting the comforting scent of his Master envelope his senses.

“Yeah. I’ve got you, babe,” Louis’ voice brought warmth to his chilled bones, slowly bringing him back into the present, “You’re with me. You’re safe.”

Harry let Louis’ touch comfort him. He wasn’t sure if what he had seen was a vision since it had nothing to do with the future but it was the strongest vision-like trance he had ever been in. A part of him wanted to ask Louis if what he saw was real, if that was how it had happened, but his mutant nature rebelled against the thought of prying into his Master’s personal life. If Louis ever wanted to tell him, it would have to be of his own volition. 

Harry couldn’t figure out why the vision had affected him so much. Yes, he was empathetic by nature but he was currently experiencing a hoard of confusing emotions, including sadness, horror, worry and, most terrifying of all, a little bit of joy at the fact that Louis hadn’t been claimed by another mutant. It was this last emotion that had him clinging to Louis, hating himself a little bit for having thought it. 

Louis held him in a comforting embrace, murmuring quiet, soothing sounds into his ear and rubbing his back. Harry’s sobs gradually quietened into whimpers before dying off altogether. He tucked himself closer to Louis, letting out a pleased sound when the man’s arms tightened around him, holding him more securely. He couldn’t stop himself from nuzzling his cold nose against Louis’ cheek, causing the older man to chuckle softly.

Louis indulged him for a few moments more, content to just hold the mutant in his arms. Once it was clear that Harry was no longer distressed, he gently asked the question he had been wondering. 

“What happened, Harry? Why were you alone in my study?” 

Harry noted with a surge of relief that Louis’ tone was devoid of any anger.

“Was looking for you,” Harry mumbled the words into the skin of Louis’ neck and it was only as he said them that he realised just how true they were.

He’d only met Louis earlier that day but now, whenever he felt uncomfortable or sad, his first instinct was to seek the man out. 

“Why?” Louis’ voice was soft, just loud enough for Harry to hear the question.

He appreciated the fact that Louis wasn’t forcing him to look him in the eye. Harry’s body felt drained, as if he had run out of energy. He felt heavy-limbed and he doubted he could even lift his head, let alone walk.

“Missed you,” Harry managed to mumble, his eyes closing against his will.

Louis’ hand paused from where it had been carding through Harry’s hair but, at Harry’s whine of displeasure, he started to gently scratch along the mutant’s scalp. Harry pressed back into his hand, craving the physical contact.

“God, Haz,” Louis murmured, “You should be in bed. You’re exhausted.”

Harry made a soft noise of agreement but he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes or stand up. His bedroom was so _far_. 

“Just this once then,” Louis seemed to be muttering to himself.

Harry made a questioning sound and the arms around him tightened in answer. Louis’ fingers moved from his hair down to the nape of his neck, his thumb tenderly brushing over the skin there. Harry wanted to protest, to say he wasn’t that tired but Louis’ fingers seemed to be seeping all the tension and worry out of him, leaving him feeling loose-limbed and sleepy.

“Sleep,” Louis whispered to him, smiling fondly when Harry snuggled in as close as physically possible, “You need the rest.”

As if his body had been waiting for Louis’ permission, Harry found himself relaxing automatically, finally succumbing to the heavy pull of sleep. The last thing he was consciously aware of was the warmth of Louis’ arm, tight around his lower back, the soft press of lips against his forehead and being enveloped by a feeling of safety that he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> And…this is officially becoming a series. I’ve started writing the next part! However, updates will be slow since I have a few other fics I’m working on but feel free to subscribe to it, if you’re interested :)   
> Comments and kudos are always valued <3 xx


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